sabra

noun

sa·​bra ˈsä-brə How to pronounce sabra (audio)
often capitalized
: a native-born Israeli

Examples of sabra in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Asim’s nephew Karim contributed bold and colorful portraits that include sabras and other local plants. Isabel Kershner, BostonGlobe.com, 22 July 2023 After all, Paul Newman played the hero, Ari Ben Canaan, a chiseled, blue-eyed sabra Superman, and the blonde, lithe Eva Marie Saint his American love interest, whose evolution from skeptic to supporter of the Jewish cause mirrored the emotions of millions of sympathetic viewers. Jane Eisner, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2023 His older brother Yoni was his hero, the living image of a sabra, the new, fighting Israeli Jew. Dominic Green, WSJ, 2 Dec. 2022 Israelis often identify themselves with the sabra, the cactus fruit that has a prickly exterior and a soft interior and pride themselves on their frankness and shameless audacity. Ruth Eglash, The Seattle Times, 4 Sep. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sabra.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Modern Hebrew ṣabhār, literally, prickly pear

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sabra was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near sabra

Cite this Entry

“Sabra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sabra. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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